Cor Aut Mors
by demimonde
Summary: AU. Defection from Shikon has made Kagome a hunted woman. Seeking a life to call her own, she escapes to the other side of the world. It's here where her soul finally feels at peace. It's here where freedom is only a touch away. But running will only take her so far. She knows she'll have to stop and face her past eventually or risk losing her future...her heart...
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me.

…

**Cor Aut Mors **

_Prologue_

…

She burst through the clearing, dodging stunning bullets and flying daggers. She twisted to grab a blade mid-air, and deftly handling the hilt with a smooth flick of her wrist, sent it sailing towards one of her pursuers. It lodged in his throat, blood a deep red river down his front.

Breathing hard, she skidded across the wet earth and tried not to lose her footing. The clearing progressed into a slippery slope. Trees stretched below and somewhere in the distance, she could hear rushing water. She sucked in a quick stinging breath as a silver bullet grazed her cheek. They were right behind her, so close she could almost taste their acrid scents on her tongue.

"Kagome!"

She didn't stop, only launched herself across several large boulders with one sole purpose in mind – _to escape_. Coming upon the copse of trees, she leapt into the air and took to the sturdy branches. She didn't miss the sudden shift of her pursuers, how the heavy footfalls behind her had suddenly quieted. They were going to trap her, converge on her from both sides. Didn't they already know they had to be more creative? Going by the book wasn't going to get them anywhere. She suppressed a snarl, seeing their moving shadows to her right and left. If anything, they were fast.

"Give up! You have nowhere else to go!"

She jumped and if she hadn't grabbed a hanging branch at the last second, she'd be plummeting to her death. Heart in her throat, she dangled precariously over the edge of a deep crevasse. She pulled herself up, sweat trickling down her brow. Below, a rushing river roared, sweeping through the terrain. Across the sizeable gap, the forest continued.

She took a minute to gather herself, to consider her very limited options. They were surrounding her, betting on her surrender because there was nowhere else to go except down.

"Kagome!"

Bullets flew through the trees. Knives hit the trunks and in the flutter of torn leaves, she made her decision. But really, what other choice was there? Eyeing the distance between here and there, she tested the buoyancy of the branches around her. It would have to do. Backtracking, she took a deep breath before shooting like an arrow through the trees, gathering momentum by pushing off the springy branches. She was a blur to the pursuers below her, almost too fast to track.

"Shit! Take her down! Now!"

When she reached the last one, she pushed off with supernatural strength, propelling herself through the air and across the divide. A bullet hit her shoulder, another tore through the flesh just below her ribs. Pain ripped across her senses as she hit the other side hard, the breath knocked out of her. Her body rolled across dirt and grass until she was finally able to right herself. Struggling to her feet, blood trailing down her arm and blossoming across the white fitted tee she wore, she glanced back at her furious trackers. They had all convened at the edge, unable to follow. She wiped the dripping red from her lips and knew this was far from over.

…

Kagome stumbled through the doorway of the only being she trusted, trying her best to keep her balance. The first few weeks after her volatile defection, she'd saved this demon's life. In return – she had never demanded anything of him, didn't want anything actually because she'd bring him nothing but trouble—he'd offered her a healing hand, a quiet companionship. He'd been annoyingly persistent and so she'd relented. Jinenji was a good, gentle demon. Kagome hoped she wouldn't get him killed one day.

She fought through the terrible pain lancing down her temporarily useless arm and leaned heavily against the wall. She needed to get these bullets out. _Now_.

"What the—" He dropped his pile of books when he saw her. Throwing an arm around her waist for support, he gently helped her to his worn and weathered couch, fishing out the medical kit he always kept nearby for times such as these, which if he thought about it, was occurring more often as of late.

"You need to get the bullets out."

"What happened?" he asked, already setting out his tools.

She shrugged out of her cropped leather jacket and he went to work, patiently waiting for her reply. After snipping her thin tee down the front and peeling it off, he dug into her wounds to extract the intricate metal lodged deep in her flesh. Blood seeped from her injuries, heavy and red.

"Shikon…who else could it have been?"

"It's a wonder you aren't dead yet."

She snorted, grimacing when he removed the first bullet. She shifted so he could access the injury on her left side, grinding her teeth as he tried to locate the silver capsule. Damn, it hurt like all hell. She had forgotten how painful being shot was. When he finally clamped down and took out the second one, she closed her eyes in stark relief. Face pale, covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat, Kagome slumped against the cushions, taking deep measured breaths.

Within moments, the bleeding stopped and her wounds began to heal.

"Stunning bullets?"

She offered a sardonic smile. "I'm one of the best they had, Jinenji. They can't afford to kill me."

He gathered all his bloodstained tools, mouth set in a grim line as his hulking frame headed towards the sink in his kitchen. "The next sky cruiser leaves in the morning. I suggest you take it and get as far away from Shikon as you can."

"And its destination?"

"The other side of the world."

After scrubbing and sterilizing his tools, he set them aside dry. He then went to a drawer and pulled out a leather bound notebook. Walking over to her, he placed it on her lap.

"This should get you where you need to go."

"Jin—"

He cut her off with a firm shake of his head. "I owe you my life."

"You owe me nothing."

He returned a bittersweet smile.

"I won't ever escape them, you know," she conveyed solemnly.

Jinenji nodded, knowing this to be true. Shikon was relentless when they wanted something bad enough. They would go to the depths of hell if they had to, commit the unthinkable without a second thought, taking with them those who dared to get in their way. Life mattered little to them.

"Just…don't die."

"Much easier said than done I'm afraid," Kagome quipped.

He rolled his eyes and pulled her into a tight hug. "You're nothing like them, Kagome. You're different and beautiful and you actually have a heart."

Kagome let a watery laugh escape and buried her tears in the folds of his shirt.

"And if you run into Shikon, or any other hunters and trackers out for your head, do what you do best. Kill them."

…

…_to be continued…_

…

-demimonde


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me.

…

**Cor Aut Mors **

_Chapter One_

…

Kagome shouldered her bag and passed through the expansive interior of the sky cruiser, looking for a private empty nook. On either side of her, worn down but sturdy booths were bolted to the floor in two long, wide rows that spanned the entire heart of the cruiser. Below this level was the cargo hold and above, nestled beneath a billowing mast and two spinning steel motors, was the panoramic cockpit, the epicenter of control manned by a handful of individuals.

They came in all shapes and sizes, served different purposes. Luckily, this was a spacious passenger sky cruiser and that meant she would at least have her privacy. Pulling the hood of her cloak forward, she spied a nice little single booth in the far corner and headed over. She scanned her surroundings along the way, making notes of other passengers and creating a mental blueprint, as well as mapping out the quickest route of escape should something happen. Given her luck lately, she wouldn't be surprised.

With a sigh, she made herself comfortable. It was going to be a long ride. While she didn't relish the thought of being cooped up in a flying machine for a few days, she was looking forward to getting some rest. Between throwing Shikon trackers off her scent and trying to start a new life, there wasn't much room for sleep. Stretching her legs and propping them across the seat, she willed herself to relax for just a little while.

…

Kagome snapped her eyes open, tightening her hand around the hidden blade at her side before remembering where she was. Taking a deep breath, she turned deep blue eyes on the tiny figure standing next to her. The reason she'd awoken in the first place. Big innocent doe brown eyes stared at her in childish curiosity. She gave the little girl a small smile, and digging into her satchel, rummaged around. Her hand closed around an apple.

"Here." Kagome handed it to the little girl who in turn gave her a huge grin.

"Kei! Come here! Don't bother the nice lady."

The little girl jumped and scuttled behind her mother, holding the large red apple close.

"It's fine," Kagome assured. "She isn't a bother."

"Thank you," the little girl's mother said and gathering her daughter in her arms, returned to their seats.

Kagome stared after them for some time until she shook herself out of her ruminations and checked the time. Her eyes widened. She'd been asleep for eight hours, yet it had only felt like a second. Glancing at the top tier windows, she saw the night sky and its blanket of stars. They should be docking soon at Cruiser Port Catena to refuel. Maybe then she could stretch her legs and actually grab some real food to eat. She hadn't had a proper meal in a while and truthfully, she was aching for something hearty. How many times had she dreamed about home cooked meals? How many times had she dreamed about sitting in front of a cozy fire, surrounded by loved ones? How many times…

In her darkest hours, that was all she had to keep her going. Dreams and flickering hopes.

…

Port Catena was bustling with night activity when she stepped off the cruiser and made her way into the small port city. Her bright eyes roamed the various shops, settling on a decent looking establishment with smoke rising out of its chimney and mouth-watering aromas filtering through the streets. Her stomach growled and quickening her pace, Kagome pulled open the door and walked in.

There were few empty tables, most taken by huge, burly men and demons. She felt curious eyes on her as she maneuvered her way to a far right table, but she ignored them. Everyone knew all sorts of things came out in the night. She would be just like any other. Keep to herself and they wouldn't bother her. Hopefully, the back-the-hell-off vibes coming from her were helping.

"What can I get you sweetheart?"

She glanced at the buxom woman before quickly ordering their special for the night.

"Don't usually see pretty little things like you out this late. Did you come in on the Lark?"

"Yes."

The woman recognized the clipped answer for what it was. Telling Kagome that her food would be out momentarily, she left the young woman to her own thoughts to serve the other patrons.

In the dim glow of the small eatery, Kagome never once let down her guard. Beneath the hood of her cloak, she took in her surroundings, always, always observing and alert. She hated it but since childhood it'd been beaten into her. She survived and killed. Oftentimes killed to survive. She wished she wasn't always so paranoid, that she could trust and bend easily. Have faith that everything was going to be okay and that Shikon hunters weren't going to find her and drag her back at any moment. Living in constant fear and worry was tiring. It grated on the soul and mind, wore her down to the very marrow of her bones.

Shikon…her thoughts turned viciously bitter. The world's keeper of order. What a load of bullshit. Had she been another of their mindless drones to control, she wouldn't have known the true destruction they wrought, the fear they incited. She had been a part of this menace, grown up in the metal confines of the autocratic, emotionless society who disguised themselves as peacekeepers when they were really nothing but a cold-hearted, cruel force of trained killers sent to silence the opposition and weed out the weak. Her fist curled. Her blood raged. The self loathing and guilt rode high.

She hadn't been able to take anymore. Years ago her sanity had started unraveling at the seams until everything snapped and she reached her breaking point. The blood had become too much. Once innocents began appearing on her kill orders, that had been it. The day she dropped off the grid had been the beginning of the end.

Shikon had eyes and ears everywhere. Their spidery reach was extensive. While there still remained some areas untouched, she could see their miasmic tendrils slowly gaining ground. They weren't content with just being so-called 'peacekeepers' of the newer world. Shikon hungered for more power. They wanted to conquer all. _And she had helped_. A product of their machinations. The thought made her furious as hell.

'_You have to forgive yourself Kagome. In order to heal and move on, you have to. Embrace who you are and strive for who you want to be. But I personally think you're lovely just the way you are.' Weathered hands, caring hands edged with gentleness and age ghosted down her face. 'Find your happiness… your heart. And when you do, don't ever let it go.' _

Kagome fought the urge to cry and laugh. She'd always known what to say. The healer who healed but could never find a way out. Her heart clenched and inhaling deep to calm her tumultuous emotions, she steeled her resolve.

The thick, robust aroma of food slammed her senses and brought her back to the present.

"Eat up, pretty girl. You look famished."

Kagome did just that. Spooning a dripping amount of the hearty stew into her mouth, she practically melted as the explosion of taste, of spice and flavor, lit up her tongue. If there was one thing she savored upon her defection from Shikon, it was food. She hadn't the faintest idea what she'd been missing until Jinenji had sat her down and fed her a proper meal. It had been overwhelming. What else had she been missing?

Kagome took her time eating, even though all she wanted to do was inhale the entire meal. Once done, she sat back and stared out the dusty window to her left. The Lark was due to depart in an hour. It would take another two days to arrive in the Western Mountain Territories, a land brimming with natural life and minimal manmade constructs. She had never been, but had heard of its beauty. Demons were more rampant there. They were further in tune with their baser selves, their beasts roaming just beneath the veneer of their more human appearance. More bestial than their newer world brethren who preferred to mingle with the humans, they didn't often venture into the new world cities.

Kagome thought it a perfect place to settle and find the peace she so achingly needed. There were a few settlements here and there in the more developed areas. Whether or not she'd be accepted was up in the air but at this point, she had nothing left to lose. Kagome paid for her meal and returned to the Lark.

A place to call her own…that's all she wanted. That's all she had ever wanted.

…

When she stepped on the fertile ground of Port Aphelion, the only accessible port in the Western Mountain Territories, Kagome knew there was no going back. The air smelled too fresh and crisp. A siren song to her soul. A magnetic pull of her heart. Soothing whispers danced along her skin, calming the dark storm inside her and speaking to the hidden part of her soul, the part she had learned to hide with a desperateness born of survival in Shikon, where one could only be nothing less than perfect.

She slipped around eagerly awaiting families and friends, like a shadow none would think twice to consider. Jinenji had told her about an inn in this small port city. The Weeping Willow it was called, ran by a pair of mated flea demons and nestled in the outskirts of this surprisingly active city. As she wound her way through the wide dirt streets lined by vendors and shops, she couldn't help but notice the abundance of human, demons and _halflings_.

While she knew of the capability of humans and demons to mate and procreate, it wasn't commonplace. Frowned upon even, especially in the newer cities and provinces where Shikon and the Throne held much more sway. Here however, it was glaringly apparent that everyone mingled and interacted without fear of recrimination. It lifted her spirits somewhat and she grew more cautiously convinced that this could be a new start for her.

Taking in everything around her, she effortlessly flowed through the hustle and bustle, sidestepping energetic children and yelling mothers, righting tumbling toddlers and sending them on their way with a gentle push. Kagome saw a sign for the Weeping Willow up ahead and veered right into a canopy of sun drenched leaves. She followed the well worn path until coming upon the inn.

It blended perfectly with the forest, all vines and draping branches, flowers blooming in thick rivulets and curling around the edges, blossoming in colorful patches along the base of the inn. To the side she detected a garden. Carrots and cucumbers, vibrant green beans and tomatoes that weighed down its vines. It was all so colorful, a feast for her visual senses.

"Welcome."

She glanced at the very petite flea demon, having sensed her approach a few moments ago. Gray hair framed a benevolent face weathered by centuries. Crows feet lined angled eyes, knowing eyes that held a tint of shrewdness to them.

"Do you have a spare room? Something long term, maybe?" Kagome asked.

"Depends on who's asking."

"Jinenji—"

"Jinny?" Her eyes widened before pooling with affection. "How's my Jinny doing? He's healthy? Well fed?"

Kagome covered her surprise. There was no mistaking the love in this demon's eyes, like that of a mother cooing to her child. Jinenji had always seemed the solitary type so it had never occurred to her that he'd keep ties as deep as this.

"As well as ever, I suppose. He often spoke of this place."

"Any friend of Jinny's is a friend of ours. I'll have you know he's like a son to me. The sweetest, gentlest boy you'll ever find. Though he certainly doesn't look it, that's for sure."

Kagome contemplated the little flea demon who stood no higher than her knee. "How long have you known him?"

"Since he was a little halfling, barely able to stand on his own two feet. He planted that garden there and the flowers." A soft smile curved her tiny mouth. "Well, come along then. Do you have a name?"

"Kagome."

The flea demon's lips quirked as she considered the beautiful woman with thoughtful eyes. "I'm Shoga. My mate is Myouga. And you Kagome, are in luck. I don't open my doors just for anyone."

"Thank you."

She followed Shoga into the Weeping Willow, where she discovered it was as warm and welcoming inside as it was outside. A fire crackled in the wide living area, furnished sparsely by only a few pieces of plush furniture. A thick, sink-your-toes-into-heaven rug blanketed the floor. Wide windows let the bright sunshine stream in, bathing the entire room in a beautiful glow. A large staircase to her left led upstairs where she noticed a multitude of doors on the second floor. She wondered if there was anyone else staying here.

"You'll be the only one in residence, I'm afraid. It gets quiet here during this time when the cruisers are more active, especially with the skies being unseasonably warm and clear."

"Do you see a lot of visitors? I understand Port Aphelion isn't as active as most."

"We'd like to keep it that way. Ours has an old world charm, yes? Many only visit for the day. Besides, there is too much life in these lands to let it be carelessly ruined."

Kagome had to agree. For the first time in a long time, her soul whispered peace and floated on calm.

Shoga showed her her room, a cozy space carved in brilliant sunshine with its single bed, dresser, and soft carpet. But the thing that caught her eye was the extended nook encased by sun and boasting a magnificent view of the vast forest and land around them.

"I thought the space would suit you. Many guests request enclosure, but you seem too tightly coiled for such a setting. Why come here otherwise? I've seen many things in my long life Kagome and a woman like you is only looking for one thing."

A wistful smile touched Kagome's lips. "It's lovely. I can't thank—"

"Bah!" Shoga interjected, waving her arm dismissingly. "You can keep my old bones company while Myouga's away."

"I don't have much."

"Then I would expect you to pull your weight around here, girl."

Kagome bit back a smile, blue eyes softening. "Of course."

…

…_to be continued…_

…

-demimonde


End file.
